Look in the liner notes for any album and there will be some mention that the guitarist uses a certain brand of guitar or the drummer uses a certain brand of cymbals. These are sponsorships. For music and sports, the sponsor gives the artist or athlete equipment and other support in exchange for visibility during performances.

Companies have sponsorships to gain attention for their brand. To get a sponsorship, you need to show that by giving you products and support, the company will be getting exposure. Make a short resume showing your achievements: Have you won any competitions? Are there any unique feats you've pulled off? Is there something about you that makes you stand out in the market?

You should also make a demo tape of your performances to submit to possible sponsors. Better yet, put your tape on Youtube. Viral videos are still a big deal for companies: they provide a way to get their name out there without having the negative connotations attached to advertising. If you can get people to watch you, you have a good chance of picking up some sponsors. For example, this video of 8 year old Koya Miyasaka has over 1,300,000 views:

Shortly after putting this video up, he was able to get enough support from equipment manufacturers to start a skateboarding team with his brother Yuki.